Kite-flying festival raises spirits

More than 300 artists and connoisseurs from 24 countries and territories gave dazzling kite-flying performances at the second International Kite Festival which opened in Vung Tau yesterday.
The three-day festival, themed Huyen Thoai – Ngan Nam (Legend of 1,000 Years), saw kites in a variety of shapes and colours from Australia, Cambodia, Canada, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, France, the UK, the US, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Among the star attractions at the festival are New Zealand billionaire and kite-maker Peter Lynn and Vietnamese-Canadian kite flier and designer Lam Hoac.
Taiwanese brought kites measuring 100-150m long while Malaysians brought those that did not need the wind for flying.
Attention is now focused on French and Filipino contestants who are known for their fighting kites.
They, along with competitors from Brunei, Japan, and Singapore, will take part in a fighting-kite competition this morning at Front Beach in the north of the city.
All participants and visitors are looking forward to a special night performance with sound and lights, considered the highlight of the festival, today.
The show is broadcast live by Ba Ria – Vung Tau Television and picked up by stations belonging to Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Binh Thuan provinces.
The performance this year will narrate the story of the country's founding by the mythical Lac Long Quan and Au Co.
A three-day exhibition on kites tracing their history opened yesterday at Sammy Hotel.
Ho Van Nien, vice chairman of the province's People's Committee and head of the festival organising committee, said this year's festival would also celebrate 1,000 years of Ha Noi and Viet Nam's assumption of the ASEAN chair.
The exchange among artists and connoisseurs would help them understand more about each other's traditions and cultures, he added.